Government Buys 375,000 More Flu Shots

Dec. 16, 2003
By Anita Manning, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government, rushing to deal with a daunting flu season, said Monday that it has bought 375,000 more doses of flu shots for adults and negotiated an option to buy 3 million doses of nasal spray flu vaccine.

It's the first time the government has had to acquire additional flu vaccine in the middle of a flu season to meet unanticipated demand. After several mild years, this year's season came earlier than expected and has spread across the USA — 24 states now report widespread flu activity.

Chiron and Aventis, the two U.S. producers of flu shots, reported this month that they had shipped all their doses for this year. The U.S. manufacturers produced about 85 million doses of vaccine, normally adequate to meet demand. But the highly publicized deaths of at least 20 children and young adults this year and reports of overcrowded emergency rooms across the nation have helped fuel an unprecedented run on vaccine.

The 375,000 doses of injectable vaccine have been made by a Chiron facility in Liverpool, England, from surplus production material, officials said.

They will arrive early next month, said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. Chiron spokeswoman Alison Marquiss said the doses are licensed for use in the USA. They'll be sold to states at about $8 a shot.

The shots will be distributed based on need. U.S. health officials want the shots to be reserved for people at high risk of flu complications, such as young children, the elderly and those with chronic medical problems. The shots are made with killed influenza virus. FluMist is meant for healthy people from 5 to 49 because it is made with weakened but live virus.

HHS spokesman Bill Pierce said the 3 million doses of FluMist would be available immediately, if needed, to local health departments at $20 a dose, half the price normally charged to private doctors.

Doug Petkus, spokesman for FluMist distributor Wyeth, confirmed Monday night that the company had negotiated an agreement for purchase of the vaccine with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

There is apparently plenty in stock. Petkus said the manufacturer, MedImmune, had produced 4.1 million doses and had sold about 400,000 as of the end of November.

The new supply reinforces 250,000 doses of flu shots purchased by the government last week that had been held in reserve by Aventis.

Most years, millions of doses go unused and are thrown away. Their potency expires before the next flu season.

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